56 
House & Garden 
March THE GARDENER’S CALENDAR- Third Month 
You will need brush 
for the garden peas, 
which may be cut 
now 
Transplanting of 
early vegetables 
started under glass 
needs a trowel 
Intelligent and time¬ 
ly surgery ivill save 
m any a damaged 
or diseased tree 
SUNDAY 
MONDAY 
TUESDAY 
WEDNESDAY 
THURSDAY 
FRIDAY 
SATURDAY 
Soon, ah, soon 
the .1 p r i 1 
weather 
With the svn~ 
shine at the 
door. 
And the mellow 
melt i 91 g 
rain-u'ind 
S cep in 0 
fro m the 
south 071CC 
more. 
— BZiss Carman 
1. All the 
necessary 
I)runing must 
be attended to 
now. Foliage 
trees and 
shrubs, all the 
flowering types 
that blossom 
on the termi¬ 
nals of the new 
growth, such as 
roses and fruits 
of all kinds re¬ 
quire atten¬ 
tion. 
2. Chrysan¬ 
themums for 
next fall must 
be propagated 
now. If the 
space is avail¬ 
able it is a good 
practice to put 
in a batch of 
cuttings every 
four weeks un¬ 
til June to as¬ 
sure a long 
period of bloom 
well into the 
autumn. 
3. I f y o u 
have not al¬ 
ready planted 
them, seeds of 
cabbage, cauli¬ 
flower, celeiy, 
parsley, let¬ 
tuce, tomatoes, 
egg-plant, pep¬ 
pers, leek and 
onions should 
be sown. See 
I)age 49 for de¬ 
tailed informa¬ 
tion on this 
work. 
4. Asparagus 
is one vege- 
table that 
starts growth 
very early, so 
dig the winter 
mulch under 
now, hill up the 
rows on the old 
plantings, and 
apply saltliber- 
ally to the bed. 
New plantings 
should be start¬ 
ed now from 
good roots. 
5. Changes 
of all kinds 
where the mov¬ 
ing of plants, 
sod, hedges, 
etc., is involved 
must be carried 
into execution 
at once. This 
also applies to 
garden walks 
which.ifaltercd 
in early sjiring, 
settle by sum¬ 
mer. becoming 
permanent. 
6. All new 
plantings of 
hardy stock 
must be set out. 
The earlier in 
the planting 
season this is 
done the less 
losses you will 
have. Just as 
soon as the 
frost leaves the 
ground is the 
proper time for 
work of this 
sort. 
7. Wliere ab¬ 
solutely neces¬ 
sary, bay trees, 
hydrangeas 
and otlier orna¬ 
mental plants 
should be re¬ 
tubbed. Others 
can be re-ferti¬ 
lized by digging 
out some of the 
old soil with a 
trowel and fill¬ 
ing in with a 
rich. f r e s h 
mixture. 
8. All the 
exotic plants, 
such as kentias, 
dracaenas, 
cocos, arecas, 
etc., should be 
re-potted at 
this time. Use 
pots about 1 
inch larger 
tlian the plants 
now occupy. 
Tlie soil must 
be light, con¬ 
taining plenty 
of leaf mold. 
9. Better 
make arrange¬ 
ments now to 
use your green¬ 
house for some 
useful purpose 
this summer. 
Potted fruits, 
chrysanthe¬ 
mums, melons, 
English forcing 
cucumbers, 
etc., are some 
of the many 
possible prod¬ 
ucts. 
10. Have you 
everything in 
readiness for 
the opening of 
the big garden 
drive next 
month? Seeds, 
garden line, 
plant labels, 
measuring 
stick, pea 
brush, bean 
poles and to¬ 
mato sui)ports 
are a few essen¬ 
tials. 
11. Cuttings 
of all the vari¬ 
ous types of 
bedding plants 
should be start¬ 
ed in sand in 
the greenhouse 
early this 
month. Coleus, 
geraniums, lan- 
tana, helio¬ 
trope, agerat- 
um, etc., are 
some which 
come under 
this heading. 
12. Cannas, 
especially the 
newer or better 
types, should 
be divided by 
cuttingtheeyes 
separately. 
They can then 
be rooted by 
placingiiisharp 
sand, or they 
may be potted 
up in a very 
light soil mix¬ 
ture if you pre¬ 
fer. 
13. Sowing of 
all the more 
common types 
of annual flow¬ 
ers should be 
attended to 
now. Asters, 
zinnias, calen¬ 
dula, balsams, 
salvia, mari¬ 
gold, scabiosa, 
pansies, stocks, 
etc., are some 
of the many 
varieties that 
niaybei)laiited. 
14. Make a 
habit of heel¬ 
ing in your nur¬ 
sery stock the 
instant it ar¬ 
rives. Stock 
that is allowed 
t o lie around in 
the wind and 
sun is certain 
to show heavy 
losses, because 
its roots will be 
dried out and 
the smaller 
ones will die. 
15. Specimen 
trees of all 
types that are 
not growing 
satisfactorily 
can be invigor¬ 
ated by cutting 
a trench en¬ 
tirely around 
the tree about 
four feet from 
the trunk and 
filling it in with 
good rich earth 
well tamped 
down. 
16. Any 
changes in old 
plantings or 
new plants con¬ 
templated for 
the perennial 
border should 
be finished up 
at the earliest 
moment. Those 
which are 
planted early 
in the .season 
will flower late 
this coming 
summer. 
17. Before the 
huds burst on 
the deciduous 
trees and 
shrubs, the 
whole growth 
should be 
looked over 
carefully for 
any caterpillar 
nests, which 
can easily be 
destroyed by 
burning witli- 
outinjuring the 
plants. 
18. Small 
fruits of the dif¬ 
ferent types 
can be planted 
now. Grapes, 
raspberries, 
blackberries, 
etc., can be 
trained on wire 
trellises, or 
stakes may be 
used. The lat¬ 
ter are neater 
and more eco- 
n o m i c a 1 of 
space. 
19. This is 
the time t. o 
think of flowers 
for next winter 
in the green¬ 
house. Primula 
of the Chinese 
or Obconica 
type, cyclamen 
and antirrhin¬ 
um are three of 
the best sorts. 
They should be 
started from 
seed now under 
glass. 
20. The cov¬ 
ering on the 
strawberries 
should be re- 
mo v e d and 
burned and the 
manure mulch 
can be dug un¬ 
der. In cases 
where for some 
reason no fall 
mulch was ap¬ 
plied the bed 
should be well 
manured and 
dug in. 
21. The top 
protection on 
the rose bushes 
can now be re¬ 
moved: dig the 
winter mulch of 
manure well 
under. A liberal 
application of 
bone meal to 
the soil will 
produce worth¬ 
while results 
during thoflow- 
e r i n g season 
this year. 
22. All the 
various garden 
tools will soon 
be in use regu¬ 
larly. Are they 
in proper con¬ 
dition? Good 
work is impos¬ 
sible with poor 
or dull tools. 
Go over all the 
im plements, 
removing any 
rust and sharj)- 
ening the cut¬ 
ting edges. 
28. All the 
best varieties 
of dahlia roots 
should be 
started into 
growth so that 
cuttings can be 
made of those 
desired. If the 
roots are laid 
upon a few 
inches of sand 
and watered 
freely they will 
soon start into 
growth. 
24. If you 
are considering 
new lawns this 
spring get the 
ground ready 
for seeding just 
as soon as it 
can be worked. 
Early sowings 
will piove to be 
much freer of 
weeds t h a n 
those which are 
made during 
the summer 
mouths. 
25. Mulches 
of all kinds ap¬ 
plied to shrub¬ 
bery borders, 
perennial 
plantings, flow¬ 
er beds, etc., 
should be dug 
under. In doing 
this, get the 
manure as deep 
as possible and 
see that it is 
thoroughly in¬ 
corporated 
with the soil. 
26. Sweet 
peas may be 
sown out of 
doors now. Dig 
trenches about 
two feet deep 
and the width 
of a spade. Fill 
the trench with 
good top soil 
and manure 
well mixed and 
sow the seed 
about two 
inches below 
the surface. 
27. All trees 
and shrubs 
that are sub¬ 
ject to attacks 
of San Jose 
scale should be 
sprayed with 
one of the sol¬ 
uble oil mix¬ 
tures before 
the buds swell. 
At least forty- 
eight hours are 
needed to 
smother these 
pests. 
28. Most of 
the diseases to 
whicli potatoes 
are heir are 
caused by dry, 
hot weather. 
Potatoes like 
cool, moist soil. 
Prepare a piece 
of ground and 
plant them 
now, or as soon 
as the soil can 
be worked. An 
early start 
makes success. 
29. Boards, 
straw, burlap, 
cornstalks and 
other winter 
covering ma¬ 
terials for box¬ 
wood and such 
tender plants 
must be re¬ 
moved now. If 
possible, select 
dull, cloudy 
weather for 
carrying on 
this important 
operation. 
30. Rhubarb 
should now be 
showing some 
growth. Bar¬ 
rels placed over 
the plants will 
give earlier and 
better stalks. 
Beds that were 
not mulchecl 
should have a 
good applica¬ 
tion of manure 
dug into them 
at about this 
time. 
31. Manure 
applied to 
lawns last fall 
must now be 
raked up. All 
lawns should 
be raked clean 
and rolled or 
tamped. A top 
dressing of 
wood ashes and 
bone meal will 
help to produce 
a good vigor¬ 
ous growth of 
grass. 
This calendar of the gardener’s labors is 
aimed as a reminder for undertaking all his 
tasks in season. It is fitted to the latitude 
of the Middle States, but its service should 
be available for the whole country if it be 
remembered that for every one hundred 
miles north or south there is a difference 
of from five to seven days later or earlier 
in performing garden operations. The 
dates given are, of course, for an average 
season. 
/ F people ever think about it at all, I reckon most of ’em figgers that butterflies ’re kinder delicate little 
critters that can't live ’cept in ■warm weather; if ye up an' tell ’em some kinds live all winter they’d 
say ye teas craay. If^s a fact, though—any country boy as does chores ’round the woodpile in the winter'll 
tell ye that. So don't jump when I say I seen a butterfly jus' t’other day, flitterin' along on the sunny 
side of a stone wall at the edge o’ my timber lot. I reckon he’d been holed up ever since las’ fall' 
under the loose bark o’ some ol' log, or maybe between a couple o’ boulders in the wall. Pretty little 
cuss—kinder dif'rcnt shades o’ chocolaty brown an' buff, with a little red onto him, well as I could tell. 
It was right ivarpi in the sunny spots out o’ the wind, an’ the little feller seemed to enjoy it, ’lightin’ 
an’ spreading’ bis wings out flat like he wanted to catch all the sun he could. I’ll bet it felt good—it 
did to me. anyway — after_ layin’ up in the dark an’ cold for three-four months. Y’d think he’d ’a’ froze 
solid before Chris’tnas time, ’less he’s full o’ this here stuff the autymobile fellers tells me they puts 
in their radiators in the winter. 
■—Old Doc Lemmon. 
Honest spading has 
much to do with 
the success of the 
garden 
It is a good plan to 
examine the young 
plants often for 
green fly 
Heavy twine from 
top to top of the 
bean poles makes 
more space for vines 
Lime is one of the best remedies for 
many unproductive soils. It should be 
spread broadcast and then worked in by 
plow and harrow or wheel-hoe 
When manure is to be added to the 
garden it should first be distributed hi 
evenly spaced piles and then spread 
with a fork 
After danger of frost is past the winter 
nmlch should be taken off the perennial 
beds. In removing it avoid disturbing 
bulbs or roots 
